Mark's 150 (NanoBox Retro)

[Sk8n Reefer]

Sorry about your bleaching episode- have you changed your light levels recently? What do you think is causing it. Those fish pics are great- really clear.

[markalot]

 

Sorry about your bleaching episode- have you changed your light levels recently? What do you think is causing it. Those fish pics are great- really clear.

 

I'm not sure. Some are and some aren't, but I do know the PAR levels can vary greatly in just an inch or two. I'm worried that some acros might lose color due to lower light but I need to find out.

 

Some birdsnest pics I didn't post earlier.

 

ORA Ponape

 

ORA Green-Tip Orange Birdsnest (it was on an ORA plug originally but the branches are more pointed than the ORA description ??)

 

Pacific East Aquaculture Neon Green Bird (the giant green monster)

 

Diagnostic pics checking for pests ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sk8n Reefer]

Great photos Mark- I love the "fury" milli's. I understand the worries with color- I have a Bonsai that had nice purple color tips at the store under 400wtt metal halides- I have him at the top of my tank but he is pretty much brown with a hint of purple. It is growing good and has good polyp extension in the evening but not giving me the purple color. I have the AI nano at 97 whites 100 blues but it is not enough for him. I shy away from some of the Acro because of this. Your other Acro seem to have really nice color- it's a constant challenge isn't it!!!

[markalot]

With my Apex, I set the temp on the heater to whatever I set the max temp to be on my Apex. Things start shutting off when my temp reaches 82 degrees, so the dial on my heater is set to 82.

 

Unfortunately I run halides, so my temp rises and drops by about 3 degrees daily.

 

I did this, thanks for the tip. I'm now around 79 over night and near 80 during the day. The darn heater still likes to shutoff but now it stays on for a lot longer intervals.

[markalot]

I want more information about this tank!

 

A Look at a Successful 125 Gallon Mixed-Reef Aquarium
By James W. Fatherree

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/9/aquarium

[markalot]

New corals today!

 

I wanted a fast growing larger coral to match the slimer, and the LFS got in an ORA Miami Orchid which should do the trick. This will take the place of the German Blue digitata, which has never colored up for me.

 

 

 

Next up is this coral from A&M wholesalers. We are 90% sure this is a Acropora jacquelineae (purple) as listed on their web page.

 

 

 

 

Unknown #1 ... bright red polyps and greenish skin.

 

Unknown #2. This did not look so green at the store. :|

 

Random tank shot.

 

So I said I was going to let the MEN kill all the montis. Well, I'm getting impatient so purchased various dental tools and brushes at Walgreens and killed a good number of them on and around some montis plus scrubbed the undersides of a few with a brush tool. We'll see.

[Dramad1]

Nice pick ups. Tank is an inspiration for me. Always following along. Hope my new build turns out as good as this one.

[markalot]

Nice pick ups. Tank is an inspiration for me. Always following along. Hope my new build turns out as good as this one.

 

Thanks! I'm sure you can do better.

[TheKleinReef]

Unknown 1 looks like a. saramentosa maybe?

 

I could be wrong. Nice pick ups though!

[Sk8n Reefer]

I really like unknown 1 the red polyps are nice- unknown 2 also- good size base on it

[Arce]

Nice new corals. The unknown #1 looks awesome.

[markalot]

Operation Monti Rescue is complete. Looks like I'll be turning my 29 gallon into a mixed reef for at least a while. Calcium in the 29 was 450, Alk 6.5. Oops. I cap of Alk raised it by 1 exactly. Convenient! I'm going to run Alk around 10 in that tank to see how things go at that level.

 

I was able to get the original chunk of Sunset monti off the rock using a screwdriver, and got the majority of my undata. Everything else was just a small cutting to make sure I didn't bring any assholes over with the coral. Every monti had to endure me staring at it with 3.25X reading glasses and a flashlight, plus a good scrubbing of the underside for the frags that had an underside.

 

 

Coming into the 150 from the 29 ...

 

Stylocoeniella (a good chunk left behind as well).

 

And after a good soak in flatworm exit, these algae infested mushroom rocks.

 

I was a bit surprised just how much the Foxface loved the Caulerpa. The tangs I knew loved it, but he went to it almost immediately. I'm hoping nothing eats the cool plating brown algae. A sprig of Xenia came over as well.

 

I also moved this cool looking Leptastrea. I got it for $5 and figured it would have green skin like all my other ones. Glued it to a rock in the 29 and so far the skin has stayed bone white. Figured I'd move it here to see what happens.

 

Mounted on top of a monti a tore out that is infested with MEN. This monti never really looked that good.

 

Moved my lime colored blastos as well.

 

 

FTS

 

Goofy angle.

[MikeTR]

I want more information about this tank!

 

A Look at a Successful 125 Gallon Mixed-Reef Aquarium

By James W. Fatherree

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/9/aquarium

Just got to see him present this to our local club last weekend.

 

unknown #1 is def sarmentosa.. #2 looks like strawberry shortcake..

[markalot]

Couple more of corals I usually don't pay much attention too.

 

I've had this chalice for 2 years, maybe 2.5 years. Survived both crashes in my 40. To say it's slow growing is a pretty big understatement. Unlike my other chalices it doesn't appear to like being in the sand either. What the heck is it?

 

This next one is some kind of mummy eye, I think. The store that sold it to me told me I was getting a huge deal on this one, frags normally go for $100 but he sold it to me for $25. Big deal. I just can not get into Chalices, no matter how colorful they are. Looks nice though.

 

It loves the sand, and grows right on top.

 

My 2 year old Acans are doing quite well of late. The BML strip I put over the front really brings out the color.

 

Kat's Blastos not only lived but look great.

 

I moved my war coral up under the big stylo. I also moved a couple of Trumpets from the 29, you can see one in the background here.

 

 

Final piece of news .... the female Anthias has already started eating flake. Life is good.

Just got to see him present this to our local club last weekend.

unknown #1 is def sarmentosa.. #2 looks like strawberry shortcake..

 

Oh man, I really hope #2 is not another SSC. All I need is another brown coral.

[MikeTR]

Put them acans on a base and they'll grow faster. Nice pics!

[markalot]

I forgot a pic. This is why I could care less about Chalices. Fuzzy sticks!

 

The Katropora continues to look amazing.

[MikeTR]

I'm gonna have to move mine to higher light. it's encrusted a bit, but no vertical growth, color is meh..

[RollaJase]

I'm playing some serious catchup over here Mark but the tank is looking sa-weeeet! .

[vlangel]

Your big tank looks terrific. I hope Operation Monti Rescue saves some of them for you. Seems like a good move to me. Hey, you haven't taken a FTS of the 29g for awhile? Its more than just a hospital grow out tank for montis right?

[markalot]

This is on the way for arrival tomorrow from SaltyUnderground.

 

They call it a True Blue acro. Grown by a local hobbyist we will see if it stays blue or goes turd.

 

[vlangel]

Its really pretty!

[Arce]

This is on the way for arrival tomorrow from SaltyUnderground.

 

They call it a True Blue acro. Grown by a local hobbyist we will see if it stays blue or goes turd.

 

 

Send this to meeee ... Ive been looking for a nice blue acro. This ones awesome, hopefully it does well in your system.

[TheKleinReef]

Send this to meeee ... Ive been looking for a nice blue acro. This ones awesome, hopefully it does well in your system.

 

Look into blue gomezi. Super awesome acro. And it has a nice blue color with a purple undertone.

[markalot]

Holy crap, it's blue! It looks like someone took a slimer and dyed it blue. This was after a 15 minute dip in Bayer (1ml per cup of tank water).

 

[hey]

I want more information about this tank!

 

A Look at a Successful 125 Gallon Mixed-Reef Aquarium

By James W. Fatherree

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/9/aquarium

I was reading this the other week and found it very interesting, I really feel like the best systems are the ones that can be maintained with relative ease and survive periods of neglect.